Hen marking nest



Aug. 3, 1948. M. E. BowE'Rs HEN MARKING NEST Filed Oct. 20, 1945 WITNESS:

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Patented Aug. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

such hens nest structures in such manner that,

their construction is simple, comparatively inexpensive and durable.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which,

Figure 1 is a front view of a hens nest embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale and embodying features of the invention.

Referring to the drawings my improvements are shown in application to a slant roof nest house. However, the shape of the house is not important but it is important that it be provided with an oblong entrance and exit opening I of less height than the average height of the hens and with an absorbent pad 2 adapted to be saturated with slow drying dye and located at and coextensive with the top edge of the opening and disposed in the path of the entering hens. The pad 2 has its longitudinal axis in the plane of the upper and lower rails of the front wall. 3 and 4 are a pair of straight generally parallel rails spaced apart to provide between them the oblong entrance and exit opening in respect to the height of which the back of a hen must contact with the absorbent pad 2 in passing. The oblong pad 2 may be saturated with slow drying ink and is coexensive in length with the top rail 3 and depends from its bottom edge as shown. The pad 2 comprises a roll of absorbent material encased in a fabric cover to, the edges of which are secured at opposite faces of therail 3 as by fastenings or tacks 5. The space at 6 between the top rail 3 and the roof of the nest affords ventilation.

A hen desiring to lay may enter the nest at any point throughout the length of the opening I and 2 since the pad 2 is coextensive in length with the opening I the back of the hen will surely contact with the pad 2 at some point in its length and thus be marked with dye by contact with the pad. On leaving the nest the marking operation is repeated. The dye, for example, may be green and, therefore, the laying hens which frequent the nest are marked green on their backs and can be readily distinguished from non-laying hens which do not enter the nest. It may be remarked that there is an absence of moving parts such as might frighten or startle the hen in approaching the nest. Again, the construction is such that the nest is well ventilated and easy of entry and exit.

I claim:

A hen-marking nest of the character described comprising a coop closed on all sides thereof and having in its front wall a horizontally elongated entrance opening extending transversely across substantially the fu-ll width of said front wall, the upper and lower edges of said opening being disposed in straight-line parallel relation and spaced apart vertically a distance less than the body height of a hen that may enter the coop by way of said opening, and a pad of ink absorbent material secured to and embracing the upper edge of said opening, said pad extending along and directly in engagement with the full length of the portion of the front wall constituting said upper edge of the opening and being saturated with a slow-drying ink for marking the back of a hen entering the coop by way of said opening at any point in the transverse length thereof.

MAURICE E. BOWERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Miller Aug. 11, 1931 

